Inset: Shanell Lakeisha Cohen (Oakland County Sheriff’s Office). Background: The parking lot altercation in which Cohen allegedly poured boiling water on a teenager (KSAZ).
A 31-year-old Michigan woman is facing criminal charges after allegedly throwing boiling water on a 15-year-old girl during a chaotic parking lot fight, causing severe third-degree burns across the teenager’s neck and much of her back.
Shanell Lakeisha Cohen was arrested this week and charged with assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder or by strangulation, according to the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies were called to the area of Leonard Lane around 7 p.m. Sept. 28 following several reports of a large-scale fight, according to a press release issued by the sheriff’s office. First responders found an estimated 50 to 100 people gathered in a parking lot.
Investigators said Cohen and the teenage girl first exchanged words before the dispute turned physical.
After the initial confrontation ended, authorities allege Cohen went into her home, took a pot of boiling water from the stove and returned outside. At that point, the teenager was involved in another physical fight with other people, the sheriff’s office said. Detectives allege Cohen moved toward the girl during that altercation and poured the hot water over her back.
The teen sustained extensive burns and was initially transported by ambulance to McLaren Oakland Hospital. Because of the seriousness of her injuries, she was later transferred to Children’s Hospital of Michigan in Detroit. The girl remained hospitalized with third-degree burns affecting her neck and most of her back, according to investigators.
Cohen went to the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office Pontiac Substation on Oct. 1 for an interview with detectives. During questioning, she admitted to pouring boiling water on the teenager, authorities said.
Following the interview, Cohen was arrested and booked into the Oakland County Jail. She was arraigned Thursday, when a judge ordered her held on a $75,000 cash-or-surety bond with a 10% provision, court records show. Her probable cause conference is scheduled for the afternoon of Oct. 13.
“This is another tragic example of a verbal dispute escalating into dangerous physical violence,” Sheriff Mike Bouchard said in a statement. “Individuals who engage in this behavior will be held accountable.”
If convicted, Cohen could receive a maximum sentence of 10 years in state prison.
